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Tens of thousands of Iraqis staged a huge demonstration in Baghdad on Saturday, calling for an end to the occupation. Some estimates put the turnout at up to 300,000 — the biggest Iraqi protest since the invasion.

News

MAKE SURE you are in Edinburgh on Saturday 2 July and the days afterwards, because it is going to be a major event which will see huge numbers march to demand that the G8 leaders act over debt, aid and trade.

The Marxism 2005 event, which takes place in central London from Thursday 7 July to Monday 11 July, will be a great opportunity to develop a strategy for the movement after the protests against the G8.

Hundreds of media workers in the Bectu and Amicus unions struck between Friday and Sunday of last week at ITV. They are fighting for decent pay. Strikers picketed ITV offices in London, Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, Norwich, Birmingham and Nottingham.

‘Every child a wanted child, every mother a willing mother" was one of our slogans on the great demonstrations against attacks on the abortion law in the 1970s and 1980s. It is not out of date today. Women’s lives are at risk throughout pregnancy and childbirth. And while the risk in Britain is tiny, in most of the world — especially poorer countries — it is still very high.

The long march begins
This Saturday sees the start of the RMT transport union’s mobile demonstration and campaign against the privatisation of our railways. It will visit 15 British cities, for meetings and events.

‘From our ships the fine houses, terraces, and minarets, with the palms and trees in the orchards, made the city of Kilwa look so beautiful that our men were eager to land and overcome the pride of the barbarians.

In 1968, the civil rights movement changed the face of politics in Northern Ireland. It sprang up to challenge the discrimination against Catholics — which was rife in housing and employment — and the loaded electoral system that allowed only ratepayers to vote in local elections, while business owners got extra votes.

East Ham Respect candidate Abdul Khaliq Mian told Socialist Worker, "Respect goes back to the basic Labour values. That’s why people like us. Lots of people have come to us and asked, ‘The MPs and councillors are doing nothing for us, can you help?’

"Ahmed will vote Respect on 5 May. His immediate complaint against the government was the war in Iraq. But his criticisms of the coalition are shorthand to describe a deeper resentment. George Galloway chose the name of his new political party with care."Roy Hattersley, former Labour deputy leader on the election campaign in his former constituency in Birmingham

George Galloway’s challenge to New Labour in Bethnal Green & Bow in east London has got off to a tremendous start. George told Socialist Worker, "My campaign has been fantastically busy and very successful over the last week.

What We Think

Challenging world poverty is the promise in Labour’s manifesto. "Put the Iraq war behind you and join us to help Africa," is their pitch. But Tony Blair’s ties to George Bush, his partner in crime in Iraq, destroy any hope of this.